Fe(male) Wo(man) (Lad)ies

Women are born with one strike against. The are immediately categorized and subjected to a certain role at birth just by being a female. Mindy Kaling is quoted stating, "I always get asked, 'Where do you get your confidence from?' I think people are well meaning but it's pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, 'You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You are not skinny, you are not white, you're a woman. Why on earth would you feel you're worth anything?". I, like all women, have faced these strikes immediately pushed up against me.
My gender has everything to do with the person I've become.



Growing up in a strictly conservative family of traditional parents I was constantly thrown expectations because of my gender. I had to be polite and perfectly kept like award winning horse. I was to be thin but never get rid of my Mexican curves so that I wouldn't end up alone. I was to be meek and submissive to seem pleasing to the public. I was to understand my goal in life was only to please a man, Mexican of course, and to produce him with a house full of children. I was to attempt to keep my skin fair with a light hint of my inherited mocha skin to assimilate into my new country.

Because I was meant to be polite I became outspoken and bold. Because they wanted me thin I learned to love my body fat and all. Because I was to be submissive I became a leader. Because I was to only date Mexican men I dated a variety of men. Because my set goal was to get married and have children I pushed to get a chance to go to college.



I challenge every single one of my family's sexist, racist, and homophobic beliefs. I was given a set of expectations and rules for being female and because of those expectations and rules I pushed past my parents pressured beliefs to find my own. I am a proud feminist although to my parents that statements translates into I am a lesbian. I am blind to race although to my aunts it makes me trash. I believe in equality for every single person LBGTQ or not although that makes me a sinner in many eyes.

My gender has given me difficulties but it has given me strength .